Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-06-04
AMATEUR BULL FIGHTING.
1t Helps Relieve the Extreme DuIness
of Mexican Hac,epda Life

1T Helps Relieve the Extreme Dulnes.
of Mexican Hac.epda Life,
| The Mexi an climate is monotonously
beautiful, and that is why people hunger
for lively diversions, for example, bull
fighting, which is still the rage here to the
extent of three crowded rings every Sun
day afternoon, with an occasional week
day night "corrida" by the light Of the
electric lamps. On the haciendas, where
life is very quiet and the manager and his
family must enjoy themselves somehow,
the amateur bull fighter is all the 60
Some of these contests are the funniest
things imaginable. There is risk enough
to the performers to make things interest
ing to them and also to the spectators, and
the bull, not contending with profession
ais, has some chance for displaying his
own powers. The other day there was an
amateur bull fight on an estate forty miles
from this city, to which some young men
were invited from among our gilded
youth. The city boys went in their nat
tiest charro costumes, all bebraided with
silver and ornamented with buttons of the
same material. To one of the city visitors,
thin man, was delegated the work of
arranging the ring, which was made of
carts in which the spectators were to sit.
The thin man arranged the carts in a cir
Gle, giving room for himself to pass be-
tween the vehicles, the idea being to let
the amateur performers have chance to
escape should the bull be too lively for
them.
The afternoon of the performance came,
and all the hacienda people and the city
visitors climbed into the carts, one cart
being occupied by young men who, with
short sticks in hand, affected to be the
musicians Of the grand taurine tourna-
ment. They whistled the national airs and
ballad pieces, going through many man.
ipuiations of their supposed brass instru-
ments, and added much to the fun of the
whole affair. By and by the bull, smart
young steer, was driven into the ring.
The occupants of the carts greeted him
with shouts, which confused him little,
but he soon recovered himself, and his eye
picked out the hacendado himself, stout
man with fat legs, who was anxious to
show his city guests that he was something
of bull fighter himself. The steer made
for our fat friend, and gave him some OPP
portunities to display his running and
dodging qualities, but at last, getting too
much in earnest. the steer rushed after
the heavyweight performer, who, to his
horror, found that the openings between
orrororoH NV <h;o
would not permit an escape. It was now
a question of staying in the ring and get
ting badly gored or vaulting the line of
carts. The occupants Of the vehicles
were wild with fun to see the steer rush
ing and lunging at the painting fat hacen-
dado, who finally as by miracle, jumped
a cart and escaped his boyine foe.
Next, lively city visitor, dressed in
his finest, essayed to show his points as
an amateur bull fighter. He en-
tered the ring amid applause from the
spectators, cut a few capers with the bull,
and ended by vaulting on the animals
back, and, holding on by the horns, had
smart rush around the ring. But, alas, the
bull suddenly stopped in his mad flight,
and the city youth found himself flung
face down into the soft and dirty mud of
the ring. Inc young Dull, satlsned with
this measure Of victory over his tormenter,
magnanimously let him off without further
punishment. Next some one else tried
the bull circus business, and got the lively
young bull SO wild that he made leap
for the cart In which the amateur musi-
clans were whistling and capering with
their dummy instruments. The scene was
one for Puck Every man of them in the
cart preceede dto tumble out On the off side,
and they got to the ground in confused
heap. 1t was agreed all around, after all
was over, that the lively steer had shown
himself worthy of the steel of a Mazzan-
tini or Ponciane Diaz.
The other afternoon, at one of the great
city rings, bull got Derby hat, flung
into the ring over his eyes, and made a
most ludicrous exhibition rushing blindly
Guernsey, sn the Boston
Ter6ld